Rep. Charlie Crist (left), Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried.Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty, Wilfredo Lee/AP PhotoFormer Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has won the state’s Democratic nomination for governor — 11 years after serving in the role as a Republican.Crist won with almost 60 percent of the vote while Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who wasfavored to winthe nomination before Crist entered the race, received 30 percent on Tuesday,according to theAssociated Press.Fried, 44, had made a name for herself as a staunch proponent of abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking downRoe v. Wade. She had also made headlines for goingtoe-to-toewith current Gov.Ron DeSantis, a Republican.Fried argued inpress releasessent from the Florida Department of Agriculture that DeSantis “has turned classrooms into battlegrounds to fight his culture wars and divide our state.” She had also called on the governor to denounce a group ofNazi demonstratorswho marched outside a conservative event in July displaying both swastikas and signs expressing support for DeSantis.Crist had also made DeSantis an integral part of his campaign, calling him “a wannabe dictator” and “the most arrogant governorI’ve ever seen in my life.“This marks the 66-year-old Crist’s third run for Florida governor. His first, as a Republican, was successful, and he served as governor from 2007 to 2011. He became an independent in 2010, launching an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate and ultimately losing toMarco Rubio.In 2012, Crist officially joined the Democratic Party and launched another bid for governor in 2014. He lost to RepublicanRick Scott, but in 2016 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.Crist will next face off against DeSantis in November.DeSantis has made a national name for himself in recent years and is running for reelection amid intense speculation that he might be eyeing higher office — specifically, arun for the U.S. presidency in 2024.Ron DeSantis.Joe Raedle/GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.DeSantis hasdownplayed those rumors, saying speculation about a presidential campaign is “purely manufactured” even as he governs in a similar style toDonald Trump, making sweeping pronouncements about “woke” culture.Though DeSantis remains tight-lipped about a possible run for higher office, a political sourcerecently told PEOPLEthat he “is popular with Florida Republican voters, which is a good indication of how he would do nationally. He is not afraid to speak out on unpopular issues, and even more important than that, he is not afraid of Donald Trump.”
Rep. Charlie Crist (left), Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried.Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty, Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has won the state’s Democratic nomination for governor — 11 years after serving in the role as a Republican.Crist won with almost 60 percent of the vote while Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who wasfavored to winthe nomination before Crist entered the race, received 30 percent on Tuesday,according to theAssociated Press.Fried, 44, had made a name for herself as a staunch proponent of abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking downRoe v. Wade. She had also made headlines for goingtoe-to-toewith current Gov.Ron DeSantis, a Republican.Fried argued inpress releasessent from the Florida Department of Agriculture that DeSantis “has turned classrooms into battlegrounds to fight his culture wars and divide our state.” She had also called on the governor to denounce a group ofNazi demonstratorswho marched outside a conservative event in July displaying both swastikas and signs expressing support for DeSantis.Crist had also made DeSantis an integral part of his campaign, calling him “a wannabe dictator” and “the most arrogant governorI’ve ever seen in my life.“This marks the 66-year-old Crist’s third run for Florida governor. His first, as a Republican, was successful, and he served as governor from 2007 to 2011. He became an independent in 2010, launching an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate and ultimately losing toMarco Rubio.In 2012, Crist officially joined the Democratic Party and launched another bid for governor in 2014. He lost to RepublicanRick Scott, but in 2016 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.Crist will next face off against DeSantis in November.DeSantis has made a national name for himself in recent years and is running for reelection amid intense speculation that he might be eyeing higher office — specifically, arun for the U.S. presidency in 2024.Ron DeSantis.Joe Raedle/GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.DeSantis hasdownplayed those rumors, saying speculation about a presidential campaign is “purely manufactured” even as he governs in a similar style toDonald Trump, making sweeping pronouncements about “woke” culture.Though DeSantis remains tight-lipped about a possible run for higher office, a political sourcerecently told PEOPLEthat he “is popular with Florida Republican voters, which is a good indication of how he would do nationally. He is not afraid to speak out on unpopular issues, and even more important than that, he is not afraid of Donald Trump.”
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has won the state’s Democratic nomination for governor — 11 years after serving in the role as a Republican.
Crist won with almost 60 percent of the vote while Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who wasfavored to winthe nomination before Crist entered the race, received 30 percent on Tuesday,according to theAssociated Press.
Fried, 44, had made a name for herself as a staunch proponent of abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking downRoe v. Wade. She had also made headlines for goingtoe-to-toewith current Gov.Ron DeSantis, a Republican.
Fried argued inpress releasessent from the Florida Department of Agriculture that DeSantis “has turned classrooms into battlegrounds to fight his culture wars and divide our state.” She had also called on the governor to denounce a group ofNazi demonstratorswho marched outside a conservative event in July displaying both swastikas and signs expressing support for DeSantis.
Crist had also made DeSantis an integral part of his campaign, calling him “a wannabe dictator” and “the most arrogant governorI’ve ever seen in my life.”
This marks the 66-year-old Crist’s third run for Florida governor. His first, as a Republican, was successful, and he served as governor from 2007 to 2011. He became an independent in 2010, launching an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate and ultimately losing toMarco Rubio.
In 2012, Crist officially joined the Democratic Party and launched another bid for governor in 2014. He lost to RepublicanRick Scott, but in 2016 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Crist will next face off against DeSantis in November.
DeSantis has made a national name for himself in recent years and is running for reelection amid intense speculation that he might be eyeing higher office — specifically, arun for the U.S. presidency in 2024.
Ron DeSantis.Joe Raedle/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.
DeSantis hasdownplayed those rumors, saying speculation about a presidential campaign is “purely manufactured” even as he governs in a similar style toDonald Trump, making sweeping pronouncements about “woke” culture.
Though DeSantis remains tight-lipped about a possible run for higher office, a political sourcerecently told PEOPLEthat he “is popular with Florida Republican voters, which is a good indication of how he would do nationally. He is not afraid to speak out on unpopular issues, and even more important than that, he is not afraid of Donald Trump.”
source: people.com
